The 17th century was a period of great significance in the history of botanical illustration. Whereas previously plants and herbs had been studied almost exclusively for their medicinal properties, the 17th century saw the emergence of a more general appreciation of the natural world.

By the early 1600s, Natural History was well on the way to becoming an acceptable pastime for educated people and "florilegia" began to replace the "herbals" of the previous century. Florilegia are a category of books where the plates are more important than the text. The earliest florilegia were albums of paintings which their owners had commissioned as a record of rare and favourite flowers in their gardens. The advent of copper engraving with its sympathetic interpretation of line, made it possible for such florilegia to be appreciated by a wider audience.

Based in Frankfurt, Theodor de Bry was a publisher of great significance who pioneered this new class of flower illustration. Working with his son Johann and his nephew Johann Israel, their combined energy and accuracy would set the standard for a new era of botanical illustration.